On jobs and unemployment he asserted, “Last year we broke the record for new private sector jobs and unemployment is at a four-year low, especially outside of Manhattan, where we needed it most.”

Bloomberg reminded the crowd of the commercial real estate projects—either underway or recently completed—that, thanks at least in part to his administration, are keeping the city strong. Hudson Yards and One World Trade Center were called out, along with Brooklyn's Atlantic Yards and Barclays Center, the Kingsbridge Armory and warehouses for Fairway and Fresh Direct in the Bronx and a project in Queens' Long Island City area that will result in 1,000 units of affordable housing, “the biggest project of it's kind in about three-and-a-half decades.”

He also praised the morning's honorees. “Thanks to you,” he said of the award winners, “we're in better shape than ever.” Those who were honored for their role in Hurricane Sandy recovery also won the Mayor's gratitude. “Our city's commercial building management companies did a great job of getting the city up and running after the storm.”

Looking beyond his remaining 215 days in office, Bloomberg also cited numerous regulatory changes and other projects in the works that, he noted, will leave the next administration poised to succeed. Among these are the proposed rezoning of Midtown East; the planned technology campus on Roosevelt Island as well as new facilities at NYU and Columbia University, immigration reform as well as efforts to double the number of engineers students in the city. Lastly, the Mayor noted that his office will issue a blueprint in the next few weeks for a number of infrastructure and other changes needed to prepare the city for future hurricanes and weather events.

“These are projects that could take a decade,” Bloomberg said. “We want to do everything we can to set up the next administration to do an even better job than we did. And I hope it does, I will be living here, as will my kids.”